The embodiments herein relate generally to golf practice aids.
In order to improve performance on a course, golfers need to practice their swing form and technique for all clubs including woods, irons, wedges and putters. Golfers typically align a golf ball on the ground with different parts of a stance depending on the type of club used. For example, a golf ball is placed towards the front of the golfer's stance when using woods, the middle of the golfer's stance when using mid-irons, and the rear of the golfer's stance when using wedges. To improve contact between the club head and the ball, golfers are taught to take a divot on most swings, except when using a putter or wood such as a driver. The divot location in the ground should ideally be slightly in front of the ball along the path of a golf swing. Golfers can greatly improve their game by practicing the process of taking a divot and proper ball alignment.
There exist several golf practice devices such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,357,705 and 4,411,431, which comprise a pair of spherical members secured together by a connecting member. These devices are intended to be placed on the ground and struck with a golf club. As a result, these devices do not help a golfer to properly align the golf ball on the ground to different parts of his/her stance and analyze the divot location relative to the initial ball placement location after a swing.
As such, there is a need in the industry for a golf practice aid that allows users to properly align a ball relative to their stance and analyze the divot location in the ground after a swing.